Three Huskers To Represent Team USA at World Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Three former Husker volleyball players will represent Team USA at the FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship Italy 2014 later this month.

Team USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly and his staff released their roster of 14 players on Wednesday, and Kayla Banwarth, Jordan Larson-Burbach and Kelsey Robinson all made the final squad. Nebraska and Penn State tied for the most selections with three each. 

Earlier this summer, Banwarth, Larson-Burbach and Robinson represented the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team at the USA Volleyball Cup and the FIVB World Grand Prix.

The World Championship, held every four years, is a 24-team event with four groups of six countries competing in the first round from Sept. 23-28. After the round-robin format of the first round, the top four teams in each first-round pool move on to the second round Pools E and F that take place Oct. 1-5 in four Italian cities. Records against teams advancing from the first round carry over to the second round crossover matches. The top three teams from the two second-round pools advance to the Final Round set for Oct. 8-10 in Milan. The medal-round matches take place Oct. 12 after the Oct. 11 semifinals.

The Americans are grouped into the first round Pool C in Verona with No. 5 Russia, No. 12 Thailand, No. 20 Netherlands, No. 24 Kazakhstan and No. 26 Mexico. Team USA opens with NORCECA rival Mexico at 1 p.m. CT on Sept. 23, then has a quick turnaround on the court to face Kazakhstan on Sept. 24 at 3:30 a.m. CT. The U.S. challenges Netherlands on Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. CT before the off day on Sept. 26. Team USA takes on Thailand on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. CT before concluding Pool C against Russia on Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. CT.

Universal Sports will live video stream all of the U.S. Women’s matches as well as have select contests broadcasts on its television channel. For details, click here.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster for FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship Italy 2014
# - Name (Position, Ht, Hometown, College)
1 – Alisha Glass (S, 6-0, Leland, Mich., Penn State)
2 – Kayla Banwarth (L, 5-10, Dubuque, Iowa, University of Nebraska)
3 – Courtney Thompson (S, 5-8, Kent, Wash., University of Washington)
6 – Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., University of Southern California)
9 – Kristin Hildebrand (OH, 6-1, Orem, Utah, Stanford University)
10 – Jordan Larson-Burbach (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., University of Nebraska)
12 – Kelly Murphy (OPP, 6-2, Wilmington, Ill., University of Florida)
13 – Christa Dietzen (MB, 6-2, Hopewell Township, Pa., Penn State)
14 – Nicole Fawcett (OPP, 6-4, Zanesfield, Ohio, Penn State)
15 – Kim Hill (OH, 6-4, Portland, Ore., Pepperdine University)
16 – Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford University)
19 – Kelsey Robinson (OH, 6-2, Bartlett, Ill., University of Nebraska)
21 – Tori Dixon (MB, 6-3, Burnsville, Minn., University of Minnesota)
22 – Rachael Adams (MB, 6-2, Cincinnati, Ohio, University of Texas)